Excavating apparatus



Dec. 30, 1930. F. H. HUNT ET AL EXCAVATING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l ..088 emma@ m Dec. 30, 1930. F. H. HUNT ET AL EXCAVATING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O 8 2 4 8 l m o 8 2 2 /U- |14 1l 4 0 olv 6 O K m w E 6 /IJ 1y4\.% Qlu l mm m 1| 1; W f m l n 2 4 Fm G L 0 m O 6 olv w w i l1.- y x 2 m 8 2 2 2 A ,"gavwemtoz a3, M www 9 a- 5 @www uw www Patented @ce 39, 19330 FRANCIS H. HUNT, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALFGRNIA., AND FREBERICX A. SCHROEDER,

0F ROCHELLE PARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSEGNORS T0 RAYMND GONCRETE FILE GOM- PNY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY CAVATING APPARATU @riginal application led August 26, 1927, Serial No. 215,542. Divided and this application tiled June 6, 1928. Serial No. 283,220.

This application is a division of our copending application, Serial No. 215,542, filed August 26, 1927, and pertains to the digging bucket disclosed therein.

The object of the invention is to so imrove the design and arrangement of the bucket and associated devices as to greatly enhance the convenience of operation and efficiency thereof.

Further and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying specification and claims, and shown in the drawings, which by way of illustration show what is now considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the bucket in operation, showing the hoisting and rotating apparatus conventionally.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section of the bucket with its gates closed, showing the gate latchin devices, the mechanism for holding P the buc et in elevated position, and the devices for rotating the bucket.

Fig. 3 is substantially the same as Fig. 2 but with the gates open. a From drum 30 cable 7 6 passes over head sheave 72 to engage the upper end of rod 78 which supports the digging bucket 80.

The bucket is rotated by motor 142 through pinion 144, gear 146, shaft 148, pinion 150, and bevel gear 152 which is keyed to the upper section of the telescopic kelly 154.

The rotary digging bucket comprises principally a cylindrical body portion 180, two bottom gates 182 hinged at 184 to body 180 and connected by links 186 to cross-head 188 mounted to slide vertically on guides 190 on the inside of the bucket wall. Hoisting rod 78 passes downwardly through the center of the cross-head and is equipped with a ball bearing 191 on which the bucket and crosshead may rotate while rod 78 remains st-ationary. v The bottom of the bucket is provided with knives so arranged as to dig into the earth when the bucket is rotated, the detritus formed by the knives passing upwardly into the bucket. Vhile the bucket is in operation, cross-head 188 is held in position at the top of the bucket by latches 192 pivoted at 194 on top of the bucket. Each latch 192 engages a lug 196 provided for that purpose on the cross-head. rI`he latches are biased to latching -position by springs 198 attached to the bucket. inasmuch as gates 182 are tied to the cross-head by links 186 the above latching arrangement prevents inadvertent opening of the gates while the bucket is digging.

The upper ends of latches 192 are provided with arms 200 and rollers 202, whichl are utilized for unlatching the cross-head as will be explained.

The lower section of kelly 154 is attached to bucket bails 204 by means of casting or forging 20o. Threaded on 206 is a iange 208, and attached to the rim of 208 is a ringshaped latching member 210. For convenience of manufacture, member 210 is made in two semi-circular halves fastened together by bolts through vholes 212 provided for the urpose.

Pivoted at 214 to the frame of the machine are latches 216. These latches are interconnected by link 218 as shown in the drawings so that they operate in harmony, both moving outwardly or both moving inwardly simultaneously. Spring 220 serves to bias the latches inwardly. They may be moved outwardly by the operator pulling on cable 222 which at one end is attached to downwardly extending arm 224 integral with a latch 216 and at its other end is provided with a handle 226 within easy reach of the operator.

With the above construction in mind the operation of the apparatus will be readily understood. l

After the bucket is filled and the operator desires to empty it he raises the bucket and kelly by means of line 76 until latches 216 engage ring 210. Just previously rollers 202 contact with the angle steel ring' 228 fast to the frame, with the result that latches 192 are disengaged from cross-head 188. At this stage of the operation the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, except that the gates and cross-head are still as in Fig. 2 because rod 78 has not been lowered. In other words, the bucket is latched in its elevated position by latches 216 and ring 210, while the crosshead is free from latches 192.

. sion in rod 78 an The contents of the bucket are prevented from forcing the ates o en only by the tencable gb. When that tension is relieved the gates will be permitted to open as in Fig. 3, with the cross-head in its corresponding lowered position.

After the bucket is empty the cross-head is again drawn up by means of rod 78 whereupon the gates will close. The operator then pulls hand cable 222.to release latches 216 from ring 210 and the bucket is then ready to be lowered. During the lowerin operation as soon as rollers 202 are out o contact with ring 228 latches 192 will engage crosshead 188 and the bucket is again ready for digging.

Due to the fact that the members engaged by latches 192 and 216 are ring-shaped, the

latching devices operate without the necessity for rotating the bucket to align the cooperatin parts as was the case in the previous machine. Also, in the previous machine the cross-head latches were missing and the tension in rod 78 was relied upon to keep the gates shut while digging.

The pressure on the bucket while digging may be regulatedl by the operator by means adjusting the tension in the cable, relieve the bucket of any desired portion of the weight `of the kelly.

It is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the construction herein specifically illustrated but can be embodied in other forms without departure from its spirit as deined in the appended claims.

We claim- 1. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a rotatable digging bucket having a discharge gate, a latching device for holding said gate closed, means for hoisting said bucket to a discharge osition, and means operable automatically w en the bucket approaches discharge position for releasing said latching device to permit said gate toopen.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, in which axially disposed means above said bucket is provided for rotating said bucket and in wh1ch said releasing means comprises a ring-shaped member so placed as to operate on said latching device regardless of the rotative position of the bucket.

3. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a digging bucket havin a disy charge gate, a latching device for holding said gate closed, means for hoisting said bucket to a discharge position, means operable automatically when` the bucket approaches discharge position for releasing said latching device to permit said gate to open, and manually controlled means for holding said gate closed after said latching device is released.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3, in which said manually controlled means comprises said .hoisting means.

5. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a digging bucket having a discharge gate, a latching device for holding said gate closed, means for hoisting said bucket to a discharge position, means operable automatically when said bucket reaches discharge position for supporting the bucket in said position, and means for releasing said latching device whereby said gate may open while the bucket is .held in discharge position by said supporting means.

,6. Ina machine of the class described in combination, a rotatable digging bucket, means for rotating said bucket, means for hoisting said bucket to an elevated position, and means operable automatically when the bucket reaches said position for engaging said bucket regardless of the rotative position of the bucket and thereby supporting the bucket in said elevated position;

7. The invention set forth in claim 6, in which means lunder control ot' the operator is provided for releasing said engagin means ,whereby the bucket may be loweredgby said hoisting means.

8. In a machine of the class described, in

combination, a digging bucket, a ring-shaped of .hoisting cable 76. That is, he may by fi ange mounted on sai bucket, means for rotating said bucket, means for hoisting said bucket to an elevated position, and means operable automatically when the bucket reaches said position for engaging said liange and thereby supporting the bucket in said elevated position.

9. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a digging bucket, a crosshead guided for upward and downward movement in said bucket, a discharge gate on the bottom of' said bucket, means for operatively connecting said crosshead to said gate, said crosshead operating to close said gate when moved upwardly and to release said gate when moved downwardly, and means for latching said crosshead in its extreme upward position.

10'. The invention set forth in claim 9, in which said latching means comprises spring operated latches pivotally mounted on said bucket.

l1. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a rotatable digging bucket having discharge gates, means for rotating said bucket, means for hoisting said bucket to an elevated position, means operable automatically when the bucket reaches said positionhereto amx oui` 

